Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-08-20
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
In many countries around the world, rural people are moving to cities, so the population in the countryside is decreasing.
Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 6.0)
It is true that in many parts of the world, villagers are moving to cities, so the population in the countryside is decreasing. I think it is a negative development because of the reduction of skilled workers in the countryside and environmental challenges in cities.
The number of workers are reducing in the villages. Professionals such as teachers, doctors are migrating and villagers are suffering from lack of healthcare and education. For example, well-known skilled teachers in the villages get less money, which makes them demotivated and they try to shift to big city. While labors do get enough money from the cities, their migration create imbalance in the village population and people can not get suffcient professional workers. Skillful workers, therefore, are reducing in the villages, which causes the economic conditions of the villages.
Furthermore, environmental pollution is increasing more in cities. For instance, people in Bangladesh are overcrowding in Dhaka, and because of bad infrastructure of the city they are not getting enough dustbins to throw their unnecessary materials, which pollutes the air of the city. People are using more car in the city, and it reduces the air quality by producing more carbon. Not only do cars decrease the quality of air, but these also hampers the health of humans. Consequently, pollution threatens the future generation, and they may suffer from various diseases.
In conclusion, although moving from the countryside to cities may provide better opportunities for many people, I believe that the overall impact is negative. It reduces the amount of skillful workers in the countryside, and it decreases the quality of air, which is also harmful for the health of city people.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 6.0 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 6.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 6.0 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0
The response addresses the prompt by clearly stating a position that the migration is a negative development. The ideas are relevant, focusing on the loss of skilled labor in rural areas and environmental issues in cities. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument regarding the economic conditions of villages is left incomplete at the end of the second paragraph. While the position is consistent throughout, the supporting arguments could be more thoroughly extended to reach a higher band. The response covers all parts of the task well enough to be considered a solid effort.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5
The essay is logically organized with a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Paragraphing is used appropriately to separate the two main arguments. Cohesive devices such as 'Furthermore', 'For instance', and 'Consequently' are used to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and there are minor issues with referencing, such as in the second paragraph where the flow between the migration of laborers and the lack of professional workers is a bit disjointed. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear and easy to follow.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The vocabulary is generally adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their ideas clearly. There are some attempts at less common vocabulary, such as 'demotivated', 'imbalance', and 'infrastructure'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation, such as 'unnecessary materials' instead of 'waste' or 'refuse', and 'hampers the health' (subject-verb agreement error). While the range is sufficient to convey the message, it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are several grammatical errors that occur throughout the text, such as 'The number of workers are reducing' (subject-verb agreement), 'people can not get suffcient' (spelling), and 'these also hampers' (subject-verb agreement). While these errors do not impede communication, they are frequent enough to prevent the essay from reaching a higher band. The control over complex structures is inconsistent, and punctuation is generally functional but basic.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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